Creamy Ginger Miso Salad Dressing made Dairy-Free and Healthy

I often use cashews or other nut butters to thicken salad dressings, but once in a while I crave something a little lighter. So when I stumbled upon the Open Sesame Salad Dressing recipe in Blissful Bites, I knew that I had a winner. As I make it, it’s more of a creamy ginger miso salad dressing with a hint of sesame.

Creamy Ginger Miso Salad Dressing You Can Lay on Thick

I originally shared this recipe over a decade ago, when Blissful Bites was released. But I pulled it from my archives for lunch, and decided to update the whole postt!

Even tofu-haters will delight in the fresh and creamy vibe of this ginger miso salad dressing. I did alter the original recipe quite a bit, adding ginger instead of garlic, upping the sesame oil for a creamier and richer flavor, and spiking it with a little more vinegar to heighten the taste. Even with just that wee bit of maple syrup, this sesame salad dressing is surprisingly sweet, yet the overall flavor is somewhat mellow.

The light and smooth taste of this recipe, coupled with the fact that it is low in fat and a good source of protein, gave me the excuse I needed to pour this dressing on REALLY thick. In theory, the batch below could top anywhere from 8 large salads to 16 smaller ones. But when I felt like having a big bowl of steamed broccoli, carrots, and brown rice for lunch, I used this sesame salad dressing as my protein source and dumped on a full 1/2 cup – restaurant-style!

Special Diet Notes: Creamy Ginger Miso Salad Dressing

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, optionally gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, vegan, and vegetarian. Just be sure to pick your miso wisely – many brands contain gluten.

Alisa Fleming

Creamy Ginger Miso Salad Dressing

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Yes, salad dressing can be healthy! Tofu adds protein, calcium, and a thick, creamy consistency to this very flavorful dressing.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Servings: 2 cups

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Asian

Calories: 35

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1 12-ounce package soft silken tofu
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons white or light miso
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 4 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 inch chunk of fresh ginger
• ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
• 2 tablespoons water or more to thin as desired
• Toasted sesame seeds for garnish see note; optional

Method

 

1. Place the tofu, vinegar, miso, maple syrup, sesame oil, ginger, and salt in your blender, and whiz until smooth, about 1 minute.
2. Blend in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
3. Drizzle the dressing over salad, and garnish with toasted sesame seeds, if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoonsCalories: 35kcalCarbohydrates: 2.9gProtein: 1.3gFat: 1.8gSaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 155mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 1.9g

Notes

Toasted Sesame Seeds: Heat shelled sesame seeds in a skillet, in a single layer, over medium heat while shaking the pan occasionally. Cook them for just a few minutes, or until they begin to look golden and smell fragrant. Keep a close eye, as they go from toasted to burnt rather quickly!

Credit: This wonderfully healthy and flavorful recipe is adapted from Blissful Bites: Vegan Meals that Nourish Mind, Body, and Planet by Christy Morgan.

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